Crazy Little Thing Called Love
by EmbraceLove
Summary: 10 drabbles depicting the relationship of Dan Humphrey and Serena Van Der Woodsen over the years. If you've never watched the show, you will be spoiled big time. Dan/Serena.


_iPod Shuffle Challenge: 10 drabbles, one pairing. I chose Dan + Serena. _

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_Hella Good—No Doubt_

Dan would never be able to explain to anyone how Serena made him feel. She had the ability to both break his heart and put it back together, and sometimes, that scared the hell out of him. He'd been in love with her, he realized, ever since that party when she'd spoken to him. At the time, he knew that the graceful blonde was just being friendly, but he'd never been able to get the sound of her voice, melodic and angelic, out of his head.

He'd never dreamed that, two years later, they would end up where they were now: on his bed, with Serena snuggled into his chest as he softly stroked his hair. He was quickly becoming addicted to the way she was making him feel, and he didn't want it to end. Dan Humphrey was completely, unabashedly, unequivocally in love with Serena Van Der Woodsen. And the kicker? Dan felt that she just might be in love with him, too.

_Next Contestant—Nickelback _

Dan was seething as he stood just outside of the school, his hands firmly shoved in his pockets. He was inconspicuously watching Serena as she talked with Nate, the two of them giggling as Nate leaned in to whisper in Serena's ear. Dan felt his hand ball into a fist and he bit his lip to keep from growling. He'd never really had a problem with Nate—they barely spoke to one another—but right now, Dan was willing every bone in his body to stay still and not cause a scene. Nate knew damn well how Dan felt about Serena, and yet, he was flirting with the blonde, as though he didn't have a care in the world. The blonde boy paused for a second and looked up, his bright eyes catching Dan's. Dan remained still, unflinching, as he stared back. The corner of Nate's mouth lifted up in a smirk, which made Dan's blood boil even more. The only thing stopping him from knocking the rich prick on his ass right now was Serena.

Dan took a deep breath and walked away as quickly as he could.

_Far Away—Nickelback_

Sitting on Serena's couch, in the middle of her apartment, was like coming home for Dan. They'd spent the past five years playing mindless, hurtful games with each other; games in which there was no winner, and now, it felt as though they'd come full circle. Dan wanted nothing more than a fresh start with the woman that had once been the girl of his dreams, and after the day they'd spent together, he knew that she wanted the same thing. But still, there was an unspoken question hanging in the air. Dan chose to ignore it and cherish the precious little time that they had left together, instead. A small smile played at his lips as he leaned in and gently brushed his lips over Serena's.

"That's what I want."

_Sorry—Buckcherry_

He'd spent a good portion of the summer thinking about the decision he had made to break up with Serena. After their encounter on the jitney, Dan was left more confused than ever. He wondered if maybe he hadn't been a bit hasty in his decision. It was obvious from the bus trip that the chemistry he and Serena had always had was still there. They'd loved nearly as often as they'd fought, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was that, when it came down to talking about their feelings and vocalizing their concerns about their relationship or about each other, they simply couldn't do it. And Dan wasn't sure if Serena had missed him or not, though, the more he thought about it, the more he was inclined to believe that she hadn't thought about him at all. She was Serena Van Der Woodsen, after all; it's not like she had any experience in the heartbreak department.

But Dan had missed his blonde goddess terribly, so much so that he was going to swallow his pride and call her to apologize. Not just for the break up, either, for everything. Dan felt that he'd acted like a jerk, and he wasn't exactly counting on Serena to pick up the phone on the first ring, but he hoped that she'd at least hear him out. The summer had brought not only clarity for him; he'd also realized the depths of his feelings for Serena. Dan knew that they could be better than ever if Serena just gave him the chance.

_Iris—Goo Goo Dolls_

Dan Humphrey was in love with Serena Van Der Woodsen, and he didn't care who knew it. She was the complete opposite of everything he'd ever thought he wanted, and yet he was drawn to her for that reason. But Serena seemed to have reservations about their budding romance. It was almost as though she was afraid that jumping in with both feet would change the person she was in her family and friends eyes. Dan didn't care; he'd give up anything just to be with Serena. He just wished that there was something he could do to make it a little easier for her.

_Hands Down—Dashboard Confessional_

He felt like he was living in a dream. Dan had gone to painstaking lengths to make sure that their first time together was perfect—he'd changed the sheets and hidden Cedric, at the suggestions of both his little sister and his dad—and now that Serena was standing in front of him, all coy and flushed, biting her lip and smiling at him as she pulled him into a kiss, Dan felt like he could die right there. He kissed Serena back with equal passion and lust, never wanting the moment to end.

_Sugar, We're Going Down—Fall Out Boy_

As he stood in the sidelines, watching Serena passionately embrace and then kiss Nate, Dan wondered if he'd ever meant anything to her. Had he been just another pawn in Serena Van Der Woodsen's quest to date every guy in the entire Upper East Side, or had she really meant it when she'd told him she loved him? Right now, Dan felt like the biggest fool in the world. Anyone with adequate vision could see by the way Serena was pressed tightly to Nate, almost clinging to him, as they kissed, that he was the one she had always loved.

And the messed up part of this entire scenario was that he was still standing there, watching, picturing himself in Nate's position. Dan sucked in a shaky breath and ran a hand through his curly locks as he continued to watch. He wondered if Serena even remembered that she was supposed to meet him to talk. He wondered if she even cared.

_It Is What It Is—Lifehouse _

There was no salvaging this, no matter how hard they tried. Maybe that was the problem—they were trying to repair something that was broken beyond repair, when what they both needed to do was move on with their lives, without each other. It pained Dan to even think about it, much less say it, but he felt that too much had happened. They'd both lied and caused irreparable damage. Just thinking about it made Dan sick to his stomach.

"No matter who we are today, we can't undo the things we've done in the past." Dan's voice was soft, barely audible. "It's probably best if we just move on, without each other."

Serena didn't want that. She wanted a fresh start, just like when she had returned from boarding school. She wanted nothing more than to put behind all the hurtful, childish schemes that she and Dan had both executed to hurt each other, and move on. If she were honest, she wanted to move on with Dan, but if he didn't want that, there was nothing she could do. She had already lost Steven; she couldn't exactly expect Dan to come running back to her as a replacement. But then, she didn't want him to be. She wanted him to be the Dan Humphrey she had fallen in love with five years ago. And she wanted to be the Serena he had fallen in love with.

_Life After You—Daughtry _

He knew that he'd made a huge mistake. Watching Serena dance with Nate, her beautiful eyes twinkling and that adorable smile lighting up her face reminded Dan of how unbelievably stupid he'd been that night. What had he been thinking when he'd told Serena that he was done and that he never wanted to see her again? Clearly, he hadn't. He'd acted like a stupid child, jumping to conclusions before he knew the full story. Dan had just been so angry that he'd acted on impulse, and now, he was paying the price for it.

What Serena had done in her past didn't matter to him—why would it? It wasn't his place to judge her. Once again, he had shoved his foot firmly in his mouth, and Dan feared that there would be no fixing this. He didn't care about Serena's past or her family, or the way that Blair glared at him scornfully every time he passed her. The fact of the matter was that he was head over heels in love with Serena Van Der Woodsen—all of her, the good and the bad. The only thing that mattered to Dan was a life with this girl. Nothing else was important.

_Uptown Girl—Billy Joel_

Dan knew that he could never compete with the guys that Serena was used to, but maybe he didn't have to. He couldn't give her dinners at five-star restaurants or whisk her away to Paris on a whim like someone like Nate could, but he could love her with all that he had. He could show Serena that she was the most beautiful and special woman in the world. Dan was terrified of doing or saying the wrong thing and losing Serena. And he knew that if it was at all possible, he would.

When it came to Serena Van Der Woodsen, luck was not on his side. She was completely out of his league, and Dan knew he was lucky that she'd even spoken to him at that party two years ago.

If he was being completely honest with himself, Dan knew that the chances of their relationship being a long-term one were slim to none. Because as CeCe Rhodes had so callously reminded him, Van Der Woodsens didn't end up with Humphreys. Dan fully expected their relationship to end as quickly as it had began, so that Serena could get married to and have babies with someone far more deserving of her, perhaps Nate, or any of the other guys at St. Jude's. He was a nobody, a lonely boy from Brooklyn. Dan didn't matter to anyone other than his immediate family, and he felt as though he would forever be nothing more than a tiny, insignificant blip on Serena's radar, no matter how hard he tried.


End file.
